Andrew Alleway, co-founder and managing director of Tidy Green Clean, the leading environmentally friendly commercial cleaning business that operates on a franchise model with headquarters in Aberdeen, says that Brexit isn’t working for business and the pandemic is merely exacerbating it.
Too many sectors are finding recruiting skilled, motivated staff to work in their industries is far more challenging today than it was prior to December 31, 2020.
“In our industry we work with many different businesses in every sector and we are hearing a common story: I can’t find skilled and willing staff anymore," said Andrew.
"For Tidy Green Clean, because we are an accredited member of the Living Wage Foundation, with many of our clients willing to pay Living Wage for our staff, we have fewer challenges than most. But talking with customers in the hospitality and leisure industries particularly, we are hearing that many European workers have gone home or to work in an EU country because they can earn more and do not have to worry about making sure they can get settled status.
"The Home Office’s approach to EU citizens since January 1, 2021 has been undesirable and caused huge amounts of distress for individual families, and that is now causing business significant challenges. EU workers have been the backbone of many industries for decades. Quite simply, it’s far too easy to blame this on the pandemic; the truth is, Brexit isn’t working for business.”
Tidy Green Clean has recently announced significant growth in the first half of 2021, with two new franchises established in Edinburgh, and Highlands and Moray, appointing a new senior business development director and achieving Achilles accreditation to go with their Living Wage Foundation accreditation, and three ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 operating standards
Andrew continued: “I am calling on local, national and UK governments to think more strategically about how to accommodate key overseas workers and for the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Priti Patel MP to come here to Aberdeen to meet with me and other business owners and hear what is actually going on for businesses everywhere.”
Tidy Green Clean is the leading environmentally focused national franchise cleaning operation for blue chip organisations and provide local franchisees and regional directors with the knowledge, training and support to be successful business owners, making the business model unique within the facilities management industry.